Few viewers complained about Baise-Moi

Only one or two people who actually saw controversial French movie Baise-Moi had lodged complaints, chief censor Des Clark told a Senate estimates committee hearing.

About 50,000 people saw the movie in four weeks before it was banned this month after complaints that its R18+ classification was too soft.

"I know there were in the total period of time before and since a couple of complaints from people who actually went to the film, one or two," Mr Clark, the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) director, said.

Chris Schacht (ALP, SA) asked whether that meant the 49,998 who did not complain were deviant, sexually promiscuous or violently orientated but committee chairwoman Marise Payne said Mr Clark need not answer.

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Senator Schacht said the OFLC purported to represent community opinion but as hardly any Baise-Moi viewer complained he surmised the community believed the R18+ rating reasonable.

"The people who want it banned hadn't seen it. It's a ludicrous situation," he said.

"During that month or three weeks it was shown before it was banned ... did you notice that there was any increase in Australia in sex crimes and murder and mayhem?"

The OFLC's Classification Board originally approved the film six votes to five.

Mr Clark declined to identify who voted for and against the R18+ as they could be subject to undue pressure, but Senator Schacht said as the four-member Classification Review Board's vote was unanimous it was known who voted for the ban.

"So we don't have a decision where it is automatic where you refuse to divulge how people voted," he said.

"If it's unanimous one way or the other we know exactly how they voted."

Senator Schacht said this was inconsistent.

Mr Clark said possessing Baise-Moi was not illegal but exhibiting or importing it was and Customs had impounded Baise-Moi DVDs.

Baise-Moi, which translates variously as Kiss Me, Rape Me or Fuck Me, is about two women embarking on a sex-and-killing spree after one is raped and the other sees her best friend shot.

Mr Clark said counselling was available for members of classification panels affected by very confronting material.